The Cohabitation Resolution
by chasingballoons
Summary: Sheldon and Amy reach the end of their cohabitation experiment and decide what steps to take next
1. Chapter 1

_Last chance... spoilers for s10, ep4 &5_

Amy's eyes fluttered open. She took a deep breath in through her nose and stretched her legs. The familiar scent of talcum powder filled her nostrils. Sheldon's body was pressed close into her own, his arms held her close and the light stubble on his chin scratched against her forehead. His eyes were closed and his lips were delicately parted where long breathes caused his chest to rise and fall.

When they had first started living together here, Sheldon had almost tried to build a wall of pillows to block her off and keep some distance between the two of them, however as the weeks went by they had slowly but surely slept closer and closer together which is why on their last morning together, Amy had woken so close and so secure in his embrace.

This was it. Their last morning. She had had a telephone call last night confirming that her apartment was ready.

Amy did not want to wake Sheldon. She had never seen him sleeping so peacefully and this was a way of extending whatever time they had left.

Defeat had come so easily at her first try at living with Sheldon but now Amy was feeling forlorn. She was going to miss what they had created over the last few weeks. On the other hand, this had been such a big step for the two of them. Amy was not used to having another person in such close quarters for such a long amount of time and it had taken a lot of getting used to. She still was not sure if she quite there yet.

Perhaps it was the knowledge that this was only a temporary situation. Amy did not want to commit and become comfortable with a lifestyle that she would have to give up after five weeks.

Sheldon stirred next to her. He was on the brink of waking; his breathing was less heavy and the arm that was slinked around Amy waist tightened and pulled her closer.

Amy was going to miss this. The closeness and intimacy that had developed between them was something she hoped would continue. She had never imagined that Sheldon would be so willing. He had been wonderful. This could not be the end.

Suddenly Sheldon took a very deep breath and Amy felt his whole body tense under hers as he stretched. Looking up, Amy saw tired blue eyes looking down at her tenderly. A small smile said 'good morning' before he rested his head back down, tucking Amy into his body as he did so.

Having not spoken yet that morning, Amy's voice was rough and hoarse.

"We should get up"

There was no amount of desire in Amy to move at all but they were going to be late for work and any more time spent here with Sheldon would make it more and more difficult to leave. Despite wanting the morning to last as long as possible, she realised that the longer she stretched it out, the more challenging it would be.

Sheldon screwed his eyes shut tight and winced at Amy's words. He did not want to get up any more than she did. Sleeping beside Amy for the past few weeks had definitely ruined his sleeping schedule with long, lazy mornings and early nights just for an excuse to be close to her, but Sheldon did not care. They had been some of the best night's sleep he had had in a long time.

Groaning he opened one eye and looked sadly at his girlfriend, hoping to gain some pity. However, in defeat, after being met with a blank expression, he sighed and unwrapped himself from Amy. Together, they pulled back the bed covers and started to get ready for the day.

Amy wondered whether Sheldon even remembered that today was the last day of their experiment. He had not mentioned it yet. Of course, he must remember – Sheldon has an eidetic memory and impeccable time keeping skills.

Five weeks ago, when the arrangements were first made, the couple had decided to continue their day as normal until after work when they would collect their bags and belongings before going back to their respective homes.

From the bedroom, Amy could see Sheldon undressing in the bathroom, ready for a shower. After days of accidently walking in on each other and undeniably becoming more familiar with each other's bodies, Sheldon and Amy had become accustomed to no longer closer the bathroom door when it came to showering (there were still some areas of their relationship that they were happy to keep as a mystery).

As Amy heard the taps turn and water come gushing into the small bathroom, she joined Sheldon. He had already hopped in the shower so Amy made her way over to the sink and squeezed some toothpaste onto her brush.

Sheldon heard her and peaked out from behind the shower curtain. His hair was scruffy and soapy. Amy could see his sleek collar bone and the curving muscles of his shoulders. She gulped slowly.

Sheldon appeared to be summoning the courage to say something. He looked more awkward than normal and it did not appear to be from the fact that he was naked in the shower. Amy had seen everything there was to see in that particular area.

Eventually Sheldon spoke, his voice was gentle and shy, "Amy. I – I have really enjoyed living with you"

Amy felt like this was going to be a meaningful conversation and she was not really setting the mood by having a toothbrush hanging out of her mouth covered in minty white foam as if she had rabies.

Spitting into the sink, Amy turned back to Sheldon. The bubbles in his hair had started to melt down his body. He swept it away from his eyes with a swift movement, ruffling his hair as he did so. Through Amy's eyes he looked adorable. His expression was firm and steady yet the penetrating glare was counteracted by his boyish charm. Amy took a deep breath. This was it. This was something. She sensed the sincerity of this.

"I've really enjoyed living with you too," Amy blushed a little.

There are very few people whose brain you could actually see at work, but Sheldon was one of them. Amy could not tear her eyes away, silently edging Sheldon to say what he was thinking. She wanted him to speak. She wanted him to open up. She wanted him to want her.

Instead, Sheldon just gave her a panicked smile, "Good," he stated simply before returning to his shower.

Amy did not move. She dejectedly stared at the shower curtain in the spot where Sheldon's head had once been. That was not what she had been expecting.

It was not as if she had been expecting a lot but perhaps some sort of indication as to whether this experiment truly had worked. As to whether or not it was as successful as she thought it was. He had said that he enjoyed it but was there any future to this? Would they go back to living separately again for who knows how long?

It certainly sounded like it.

Sighing quietly to herself, Amy left the bathroom to prepare for the day.


	2. Chapter 2

Amy drove herself home from work alone. Sheldon had left earlier with Leonard as far as she was aware. He still enjoyed their car journeys together and it kept up his and Leonard's little tradition as well as providing some regularity to Sheldon's schedule. Amy did not mind; it gave her a chance to think.

As she climbed the stairs up to 4B, part of her was expecting Sheldon to be sat comfortably on the couch as if nothing was changing. Perhaps at least he would talk to her now, after a day of contemplation, and suggest they expand the deadline of the experiment – or better yet, completely abandon the experiment and make it a permanent arrangement.

However, upon rounding the corner onto the fourth floor. Amy was incredibly disappointed to see Sheldon watching Leonard, Howard and Raj carry heavy boxes and cases from 4B back to 4A.

When he saw her, Sheldon called over, "Amy, I've finished packing. Everything left in there is yours. I appeared to have accumulated more possessions than I was expecting"

He motioned towards his friends who were struggling under the weight of the boxes. It was true that as Sheldon had slowly become more comfortable in 4B, he had brought over more and more of his belongings. It was almost as if he was moving in permanently. Amy on the other hand had very few possessions after the plumbing problems in her own apartment had damaged the majority.

She flashed a sub-standard smile in Sheldon's direction, "Good. I'll be on my way soon then. I can't wait to see my apartment without water all over the floor"

Shuffling past Sheldon and into 4B, Amy closed the door took her small suitcase out from the wardrobe and folded in the few clothes she had salvaged, took everything from her nightstand and the bathroom before zipping it all away and wheeling it back through the door.

All hopes for Sheldon assisting her with her bags or walking her downstairs or at least saying goodbye were shattered when Amy saw the door to 4A firmly shut with muffled deep voices coming from within.

With a sad heart, she began the long descent down to her car.

However, little did Amy know, someone was watching her through the peephole with an equally heavy heart.

* * *

Sheldon placed his lunch tray down on the table and sat to join his friends. Despite the large portion of food on his plate, he did not feel hungry. He pushed his fork around before giving up completely and sitting back in his chair with a sigh, staring at the untouched food.

"Everything alright buddy?" Leonard asked when he saw his friend pouting.

Sheldon looked up at him with dark, sad eyes.

"Amy leaves today" he stated in a wobbly voice.

The men all exchanged sympathetic looks. Despite a slightly rocky start, Leonard, Howard, and Raj all knew that Sheldon was enjoying the experience of living with Amy. He had been much happier recently and very keen to go home and go to bed early – an action no one was arguing with.

Leonard had noticed a huge change in Sheldon's mannerisms. He was openly flirting with Amy and often running back to 4B with her for their amorous activities.

"Why don't you ask her if she'll stay?" Leonard suggested.

Sheldon bit his lip in thought. This morning, in the bathroom, he had tried to broach the subject but immediately chickened out. Throughout the rest of the day he had been trying to gain the courage to ask her again but the more he thought about it, the more it seemed like a bad idea.

"Sheldon, she's loved staying with you. Why not just extend the time parameters?" Raj suggested.

"Yeah, what's the worst that could happen?" Howard joined in.

Sheldon's nose scrunched in thought. He had been considering asking Amy to live with him permanently for a few weeks now but last night she had received a phone call informing her that her apartment was ready again. She had sounded so happy; thanking the superintendent again and again. This morning she had not even mentioned the success of their experiment. Maybe she did not think it had been successful?

Sighing and shaking his head, Sheldon addressed his friends, "Leonard, I need you to take me home. You all have to help me move"

And so it was later that afternoon that Sheldon watched his friends lug heavy boxes across the landing back into 4A. Then Amy had arrived. She smiled sweetly and moved past him, so close that it took all his willpower not to reach out and touch her; not to pull her into his arms; not to follow her in and lock the door behind them.

Sheldon did not know how long he had been staring wistfully at the door for but soon a small voice from behind brought him back from his trance.

"Buddy, you okay?" Leonard asked cautiously.

The only reply was a simple nod before Sheldon closed the door to 4A. His old home.

Only it did not feel like home anymore.

Howard and Raj were sat on the couch, Sheldon's spot was left unspoiled and readily awaiting his return. His desk was neat and tidy, exactly the way he had left it. The boxes had been taken back to his bedroom where all his collectables and comics were displayed and organised. Nothing had changed.

But it felt so wrong.

Sheldon lingered by the door. Despite still spending an inordinate amount of time in this apartment, today it felt different.

"Sheldon, why are you doing this to yourself?" Howard asked loudly, "Just tell Amy what you want. She probably wants the same thing"

There was a sound from outside in the hallway as Amy closed and locked the door. Sheldon immediately ran to the peephole to watch her go. For a split second he thought he felt her make direct eye contact with him; as if her glance was penetrating straight through the door to see him standing there like a coward.

Swiftly and elegantly, she started down the stairs. Sheldon sighed.

"She doesn't want what I want"


	3. Chapter 3

Sheldon was still sulking later that evening as he swirled his tea bag around his mug. Howard and Raj had gone home, Leonard and Penny were on the couch, and there had been no word from Amy. She had not even texted to say she had settled back in.

"Sheldon sweetie, why don't you call her?" Penny suggested. She did not like to see Sheldon so distressed, plus he had only moved back a few hours ago and he was already getting on her nerves.

A tiny flicker of light flashed across Sheldon's eyes at her advice. He almost ran over to the side table to quickly grab the phone. Any fear that Amy would want space from him had gone as his fingers flurried over the numbers and he placed the phone to his ear.

Penny and Leonard waited quietly in anticipation.

They heard a muffled _'hello?'_ as Amy answered the phone.

Sheldon began straight away, "Hello Amy, I was just calling to confirm that you have moved back in safely"

Leonard and Penny could not make out what Amy was saying but continued to listen to Sheldon's side of the conversation, he became less and less enthusiastic as it went on. They were both keeping their answers short and to-the-point. It was not long before the conversation was over.

Sheldon despondently hung up the phone and placed it back in the cradle on the table next to his spot. Clearly the exchange did not go the way he was hoping.

"She's okay… happy to be home…" he informed his friends.

Looking incredibly saddened and dejected, Sheldon turned slowly and made his way down the corridor towards his bedroom. Leonard and Penny were left in the midst of his despondency.

"Poor guy. He's really missing her" Penny's eyebrows were knitted together in sympathy. She pulled her legs up onto the couch and leant against her husband slightly, her arms wrapped around his.

Leonard nodded in agreement, "I don't know why he's doing this. It's making him miserable"

The effects of being away from his girlfriend were already clear in Sheldon despite only being separated for one evening.

"Exactly, and I'm sure Amy's just as upset. They belong _together_ "

"And out of our house"

* * *

Sheldon felt a twang of loneliness as he prepared for bed. For the past five weeks, his nightly routine had become a corrugated dance. He and Amy got into a flow; swapping places, moving together, weaving around the other.

Tonight there was no one with him.

No one to talk to about the events of the day. No one to snuggle into bed with. No one to cuddle.

At first Sheldon was reluctant to hug Amy in bed. He had not been lying when he said iguanas could live on her body, the woman was a human furnace. However, now he was missing it. To have her so close meant that he felt protected and that he could protect her. Now it was gone.

Usually when he brushed his teeth, Amy would be standing next to him, both of them looking at each other in the mirror and sharing foamy white smiles. She would only come up to his shoulder, something Sheldon rarely noticed until they were stood in the mirror. He liked how small she was.

Silently, he traipsed back to his room. Leonard and Penny had gone to bed and the apartment was in darkness. There was a light at the end of the corridor peeking out between the gap underneath Leonard's door. Sheldon focused his hearing and caught the sound of muffled conversation interrupted by the occasional giggle.

Across the hall, 4B would be empty.

Sheldon stepped into his bedroom and closed the door. He felt a little jealous of Leonard and Penny. They got to spend every night together and just talk. That was really what Sheldon missed; the talking. He could listen to Amy talk forever.

After removing his dressing gown and slippers, Sheldon lay down in bed. The absence of Amy had not been more apparent until now.

His toes were cold.

Normally, his legs would be tangled in between Amy's and the heat she emitted would be enough to keep them both warm and toasty. He had also gotten used to sleeping on his side and facing Amy. Tonight he lay on his back, much like a vampire resting in a coffin.

Sadly, as suspected, sleep alluded him.

Tossing and turning in rage, Sheldon became exasperated. He could not sleep. It was hours past his bedtime.

Finally, when his anger became so exhausting, Sheldon felt sleep overcome him. His eyelids became heavy and he felt his heartbeat slow. Taking a huge breath and sighing, Sheldon relaxed his whole body.

Peaceful in his sleep, Sheldon rolled onto his side. Out of habit, he reached out for his girlfriend.

He reached further.

His hand spread up and down the sheets.

They were cold.

Still half-asleep, Sheldon wondered where Amy had gone. He opened one eye. He opened the other.

Amy was not there. He was in his own bedroom.

Sitting up in bed and letting out a loud wail of frustration, Sheldon clenched his fists. He could not sleep without Amy. He needed her.

Jumping out of bed and pulling on his slippers, Sheldon marched out the door. This was not the first time he had walked to Amy's apartment in the middle of the night. It was the first time he had done it in his pyjamas.

Determination lead Sheldon's descent to the stairs. He took them two at a time, leaping from step to step. If he could not sleep without Amy, he would just have to sleep with her instead.

However, halfway towards the second floor Sheldon stopped suddenly almost as if he had hit a brick wall. What was he doing?

Was he seriously considering walking to his girlfriend's house in the dead of night wearing nothing but pyjamas just so that he could sleep next to her?

How ridiculous. Now, with what he thought was a clearer head, Sheldon decided to abandon his plan. Amy would be sound asleep not even thinking about him. He would just have to go back to bed and lie there until sleep overcame him.

Trudging back upstairs, Sheldon knew he was doing the right thing, but he could not help but feel disappointed by this.

At the fourth floor, he reached out for the door handle to 4A. It was locked. He had forgotten his key.

Angered by his own stupidity, Sheldon thumped his head hard against the door. Wincing and pulling away, he placed a hand tenderly on his forehead and began pounding on the door with the other.

"Leonard!"

"Penny!"


	4. Chapter 4

Amy pottered about her apartment well into the night. She had wiped down the kitchen surfaces three times, plumped the couch cushions at least eight times and was still not convinced she had chosen the right order for all her books. Maybe she should reorder the shelf again?

Sighing to herself, Amy sat down on the couch. This was ridiculous. She could not bear the thought of going to bed.

She would have to sleep at some point, with or without Sheldon.

Most likely without. There had been a small part of her that had hoped Sheldon would turn up unannounced at her door, wrap them both under a warm blanket and pull her away to bed but it was nearly 2am. He would have been fast asleep hours ago.

It would not have been the first time he had turned up unannounced at her door though. Whilst it was irritating to be woken from her REM cycle, it was titillating to have a male caller at her door past midnight. Since she and Sheldon had matured within their relationship, Amy was having less and less night time visits from her anxious and worried boyfriend.

Over the past five weeks he had not had to. She had been right there next to him.

They could talk about anything and everything whenever they wanted to. There had been no limits. No date night alarm telling her to go home. No one arriving and disrupting their conversation. No bed time. It could have been hours past Sheldon's usual bed time but his sleepy eyes would still be focused on her as she rambled on and on; one hand gently caressing her hip.

If she focused hard enough, Amy could imagine that feeling now. Pure bliss. Surrealism.

She never thought she would ever be that close to someone. Physically and emotionally.

Amy missed Sheldon so much.

She felt tears prick in the corner of her eyes. This was silly. She should not be crying from one night away from her boyfriend. Granted: she did not know if this one night was going to turn into weeks or months or years but that was not something to get emotional over. She had lived by herself for years so this was nothing new.

Deciding that she was simply tired, Amy wiped the tears from her eyes and blinked rapidly. She heaved up from the couch and hauled herself to bed. The room was dark and empty and cold.

She pealed back the bed covers and slid underneath. She felt very small in her massive bed. Beforehand, it had been lovely to spread out and reach her toes to the pockets of cold air but now it felt isolating and uncomfortable. For warmth, Amy curled herself up into a ball-like foetal position meaning she took up even less space in her bed. She felt like a lost atom in a Supervoid.

Her cheeks burned from crying and her eyes were sore. Sadly, she closed them and forced herself to sleep.

* * *

Leonard placed his tray down on the table hard and slouched in his chair. Howard and Raj looked up to see their friend very disgruntled. He picked up a plastic fork in his hand and twirled it repeatedly in a menacing way whilst staring at his food. There was a small snarl on his lips.

"Rough morning?" Howard asked innocently.

Leonard sat forward in his chair and began poking at his pasta irritably.

"Sheldon," he replied simply without making eye contact. Raj and Howard exchanged a look asking each other whether they should continue or not. Leonard was clearly bothered about something Sheldon had done; the question was whether he wanted to talk about it or not.

Raj pressed his lips together and bobbed his head slightly, "What's he done now?" he asked, scared that he had poked the bear.

Leonard gave up on his food and threw his fork down. He sighed in defeat and rolled his eyes, "Nothing really, I'm just mad at him"

"He must have done something for you to be mad at him" Howard reasoned. He never missed an opportunity to mock and annoy Sheldon so was very keen to get any juicy information he could find.

Leonard removed his glasses and squinted whilst rubbing his eyes. He looked tired and cranky.

"Just tell us what happened" Raj moaned, he could not be bothered to squeeze it out of Leonard. They all knew it was only a matter of time before he broke and vented to them anyway.

Leonard replaced his glasses and gave in, "Fine" he ran a hand through his hair and began to tell his story.

"Last night Penny and I woke up to Sheldon banging on the front door. He was freezing cold and completely bewildered from sleep deprivation. I don't even know how long he had been out in the hall for. He'd left his key behind and got himself locked out-"

"What was he doing out there?" Raj interrupted.

"He said he was going to go and see Amy" Leonard explained, "He hadn't been sleeping well"

Howard looked confused, "But Amy lives miles away. Why would he ever bother that late at night? What could she do?"

Raj smirked, he could think of plenty of things Amy could do to help Sheldon sleep but this really was not the time to point them out.

Leonard sighed. He was less angry now that he had managed to talk about the events of his night. However, he still had not reached the worst of it.

"Guys, I'm pretty worried about Sheldon. He had been depressed all day and then I find him out roaming the corridors in the dead of night. He's really not coping well from this separation from Amy"

"They really liked living together didn't they" Raj mused with a small smile.

Leonard nodded. This was close to the time Sheldon and Amy broke up. Both were damaged and making themselves unhappy by not communicating.

"Sheldon just won't talk to Amy. I bet she'd love to live with him permanently. It's all she's talked about for years but now suddenly Sheldon thinks it's not what she wants!"

"And that's what made you mad?" Howard guessed.

Leonard shook his head miserably, "I guess… it's not just that though. After we put Sheldon to bed and he had stopped rambling on about finding Amy, Penny and I went to bed ourselves. I started thinking of ways we could get Sheldon and Amy to see that they both miss each other and want to live together but Penny did not agree"

Howard and Raj leaned in to listen intently.

"She said that we should be here for him because he needs us. We helped him tonight and we can help him again for as long as he wants. Apparently Sheldon will get used to being without Amy again but for now we have to be his family and ease him through this"

Leonard scoffed at his wife's attitude and grabbed his fork again to angrily shovel food into his mouth. His frustration had suddenly made him ravenous.

Raj and Howard sat back in their chairs. Their food had been forgotten due to all the recent drama and their eyebrows were creased in thought.

"I don't know dude; it did sound like Sheldon still needs you. You had to rescue him from the hallway last night" Raj pointed out.

Howard shook his head, "Yes but if he was still sleeping with Amy he wouldn't have been out in the hallway in the first place. Leonard and Penny need their own space. Amy can help him more than anyone"

"She does something to him" Leonard agreed, "Who has ever heard of Sheldon forgetting his keys? Once? Maybe twice? He can't think straight when he's thinking of Amy. Penny only wants him to stay because she's just as scared of change as he is"

"Well, you guys are married now. I feel like Penny matured very fast when she started her relationship with you. I can understand why she's still holding onto Sheldon. It still feels like the old days. If Sheldon left, she would only be with you and that's like the new beginning of your life together. She's just scared"

There was silence as the others processed his words.

Leonard felt a touch of sympathy for his wife. He was scared about their future too.

"Thanks Raj. That was very smart. I should talk to Penny" Leonard picked up his tray of half-eaten food and ran off to call his wife.

After he had gone, Howard smiled cheekily at Raj, "So how'd you come up with that? Read it in Cosmo?" he teased.

Raj squinted at him through thin, suspicious eyes, "So what if I did? It's the same reason you keep me around in your relationship," he snapped back.

Howard stopped chewing and stared at Raj in mock confusion with one eyebrow raised.

"Well if that's what you think I guess you're fine with me and Bernie cutting you loose?" Howard provoked his friend.

"No please don't let me go. I need you!" Raj wailed.

Howard smiled and shook his head with a small chuckle.


	5. Chapter 5

Sheldon sat in his office in a trance-like state. He had missed lunch and did not have the energy to get anything else to eat. He was not hungry. He was tired.

Penny had tried to persuade him to stay at home today but he had refused.

Last night after they had finally heard him banging on the door, let him in, and put him to bed, Sheldon heard Leonard and Penny fighting. About him.

When he was a young boy he would often hear his parents fighting about him. In a way, Sheldon had always blamed himself for the problems in their relationship: he knew he was a handful. Now, with two of his best friends fighting over him, Sheldon knew he truly was to blame.

As he lay there listening to them bicker, he could not help but wish he was back in 4B with Amy again where it was so quiet and they were so close that even the smallest whisper could have been heard.

Everything had been so much better when he was living with Amy.

He had finally fallen asleep that night with sweet thoughts of his girlfriend in his mind. Now it was mid-afternoon and Sheldon had done no work. He had sat at his desk all day. Thinking.

For the majority of his colleagues, it was not anything special to see Sheldon talking to himself, drawing equations in the air or using bizarre visual aids which meant that he was luckily not disturbed in his thinking process. Little did they know; he was not working at all.

Sheldon was in fact, devising a way of asking his girlfriend to move in with him. Permanently.

* * *

"Penny? Hi, I just wanted to apologise for last night. I know you are scared about the future and I get it. You were right, we do need to support Sheldon. I've been a terrible husband and a terrible friend. I just think that we need to-"

"Shh. Shut up for a second"

"What? Why? I'm trying to be reasonable"

"No Leonard, that's not what I meant. I just got off the phone with Amy"

"And?"

"It's bad news"

"What? What do you mean?"

"The only reason I was arguing for Sheldon last night was because I didn't believe it would last that long. He's been pining for Amy so much that I assumed they would just figure it out by themselves and that eventually they would live together permanently. I just wanted to support him until he came to that decision on his own... did you say I was scared?"

"Yeah… I spoke to Wolowitz and Koothrapali and they mentioned that living without Sheldon was officially the start of our life together. I thought you were maybe scared?"

"Leonard, honey, we've been living without Sheldon for five weeks. I think I can handle it"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I love you and I love living with you. Alone. Believe me it's almost a blessing to have Sheldon gone. Don't get me wrong I miss him but you're right _this is the start of our life together_ "

"Oh, okay. Good! I love you too. I can't wait to begin our married life"

"You're so silly"

"I know... So what's all this about Amy?"

"Oh, no! You distracted me. It's not good Leonard"

"What's wrong?"

"Amy's moving"

* * *

Two evenings later, as Sheldon prepared for bed he thought to the future. This time tomorrow, Amy could be living with him officially. He simply had to work up the courage to ask her.

Upon returning from work, Howard and Raj had joined them for comic book night and as soon as they returned home, Sheldon ran to the phone and dialled Amy's number. He waltzed back to his bedroom to offer some privacy in their conversation as the others made themselves comfortable in the living room.

He dialled her home number but there was no answer so he tried her mobile.

"Hello?" Amy's voice answered her phone, "Sheldon is everything okay?"

Sheldon momentarily wondered why she would assume that something was wrong before he replied, "No. Everything is fine. I was just calling to ask if you wanted to go the movies tonight? I heard great reviews about-"

"That sounds wonderful Sheldon but I'm sorry, I'm currently unavailable" Amy cut him off.

Sheldon stuttered. Amy had plans? He had not heard anything about a girl's night and Amy had not mentioned about any extra work she had picked up. Usually she would be joining them all for take-out food anyway. What could she be busy with?

Upon realising that he had been silent for an inordinate amount of time and it would be rude to interrogate his girlfriend about her plans, Sheldon quickly dismissed her and said goodbye.

"Oh, never mind. Another time perhaps?"

"I would like that"

The couple both disconnected feeling disappointed.

Sheldon wondered back through to the kitchen to find Leonard and Penny. They had been unusually quiet for days which was rather suspicious. They both looked up guiltily when they saw him walk in.

"Penny, did Amy mention anything to you about her plans tonight?" he asked innocently.

"Why?" she replied cautiously.

Sheldon sighed, "I just got off the phone with her. She said she couldn't see me because she was preoccupied. This was going to be a special night. I was going to ask her to move in with me," he said sheepishly, "She didn't say anything to you did she?"

Leonard and Penny looked at each other vigilantly before turning to Sheldon.

"Sweetie, perhaps you should sit down" Penny suggested. She patted his spot next to her.

Sheldon, however, did not move, he remained standing rigidly, like an animal aware of danger.

"Why? What's going on"

Penny looked at her husband again for support before turning back to Sheldon. She spoke quietly and carefully.

"Sheldon. I spoke to Amy a couple of days ago and… we didn't know how to tell you... she mentioned… looking for a better place. She's apartment hunting right now"

Penny's facial expression ended with a wince. It was almost painful to give away this information. She could see Sheldon's brain working to comprehend what she just said. His eyes darted around in confusion.

"Why? Why? She can't…" he mumbled, sitting down in his spot slowly. Everything had been going so well for the past five weeks. Why had she chosen this point to move house? Just as he was going to ask her to move in with him. Why had she not told him? It did not make any sense.

Leonard spoke softly, "She told Penny that she had been thinking of getting a better place for a while now. I'm sorry buddy"

Sheldon stared at Penny with hard eyes, "You told her not to didn't you?"

Penny shook her head miserably, she felt terrible. If she had known Sheldon's plans, she could have convinced Amy otherwise. It was obvious that they wanted to live together but now Amy was moving and Sheldon had always been a closed book. It was not like Amy was going to be living further away but this was a new house and a fresh start that should be happening with Sheldon. It was a step forward in the wrong direction.

"Sheldon, this is still fixable!" Penny insisted.

But Sheldon was already gone.


	6. Chapter 6

Amy took the lift up to the third floor to her apartment. It was nice not to have to take the stairs like she had been doing for the past five weeks. Although, on the other hand, it had been enjoyable to walk up with Sheldon every day. They would often have their usual riveting conversation and sometimes he would even nonchalantly take her hand.

That was all over now. After only a few days away from her boyfriend Amy was already feeling the consequences. It was quite spontaneous of her to dive into this house hunting so quick and she was proud of herself for it as well as simultaneously trying not to believe that this was a result of grief. There was no backing down now.

Even an invitation to spend time with her boyfriend that she so desperately craved could not stop her. Luckily, Sheldon's call had come as a bit of a surprise and her immediate sense of guilt and panic allowed her to bluff her way through the conversation. She was going to tell Sheldon eventually. Just when she found the right apartment.

She had been thinking about moving to a better place even before she broke up with Sheldon last year. Her current apartment was fine but it would be nice to have a larger living space so it was less cramped when everyone came over.

Also, sometimes change was good.

It was refreshing.

A new start meant a new life style. A new Amy. A more confident and outgoing Amy. Although she had many great memories in this apartment (Date nights at the table, kissing on the couch, coitus in the bedroom…), there were plenty of sad memories too.

She did not want to remember crying herself to sleep or opening the door to other gentleman callers. It was only a small part of her life but they were parts she wanted to get rid of.

She had enjoyed living with Sheldon in 4B but it did not look like that was developing any further. If they were going to live apart, she may as well live closer. Instead of a 20 minute drive, perhaps only 10 minutes. Walking distance would be nice.

Apartment hunting today had not been as successful as she had hoped. Most of the good places were out of her price range or had two bedrooms. She only needed the one bedroom but the living space and kitchen should still be a reasonable size, not like the tiny boxes she had seen today.

That had not tainted her attitude though. She was determined to find the perfect place. She already knew that it would not be as good as being in the same bed as her boyfriend but second place would do.

It would at least last her a little longer until Sheldon really does ask her to move in with him. _If_ Sheldon asks her to move in with him. If he did not want to cohabit after five weeks of already living together, then who knew whether he would ever ask again. If she was going to live alone forever, then she might as well do it comfortably.

Amy took a deep breath. Thinking about Sheldon was giving her headache and heartache. She missed him and hated hiding this from him.

After the doors to the elevator opened, Amy stepped out and walked around the corner towards her apartment. She inserted the key and went to turn it, however, it would not turn. The door was already unlocked.

Amy knew she had not been in a perfect state of mind recently but she never forgot to lock her door.

Slowly and cautiously, she wrapped her hand around the handle and turned. She could hear her heart beating in her ears from fear. The door flew open and someone on the inside pulled her in.

"Don't just stand there. Take a box and help"

Relief overcame Amy when she realised it was just Sheldon. He was bustling around her apartment carrying huge cardboard boxes. She could see the majority of her kitchen cupboards had been cleared out and now were barren, her desk drawer was open and Sheldon was scooping everything out into a box.

Amy simply stood there dumbfounded.

Had Penny told him that she was moving? Is that why he was here? To help her?

She had barely begun searching for apartments but here he was packing away everything she owned.

"You can start on the bookshelves. I'm not sure how much room there will be for all our books but we can make it work" Sheldon instructed. He did not look up from his sorting and organising to look at her. If he did, he would have seen a very confused Amy Farrah Fowler.

"Sheldon… I?" Amy stuttered. She did not know how to react. She wanted to explain herself but also felt like it should be Sheldon who explains _himself_.

Fortunately, Sheldon appeared to have sensed that he had not elaborated enough. He turned towards her and felt around in his pocket.

He withdrew a shiny silver key.

"The key to your new apartment"

This did not help Amy; she was just as confused. Had he found her a new place to live already? How did he get the key and a lease so soon?

"How did you know?" Amy already knew the answer. Penny must have told Sheldon.

"Penny told me," he confirmed her suspicions.

Suddenly Sheldon took two great steps forward until he was level with her. He clenched the key tight in his fist, desperately holding onto it.

"Amy. Don't go," the sound was soft and delicate.

Amy attempted to hide the fact that she was severely turned on by his voice and tried to shrug off the sincerity of their conversation.

"I'm not going for good Sheldon. I just thought I would enjoy a new, fresh apartment with a bit more space. I'm not leaving you, that is definitely not what this is. I'll still be just down the road, maybe even closer"

Sheldon bit his lip then ran his tongue along the red blotch he had just made on the delicate skin. It took all of Amy's might not to reach out to him. He looked dejected and sad.

Slowly, Sheldon's hand came up between them and he opened his clenched fist. The silver key sat on his palm.

"Why live just down the road when you could be even closer?"

Amy was shocked. She stared down at the key in his hand and back up at her boyfriend.

"Amy Farrah Fowler, will you move in with me?" he asked carefully as if afraid to hear her response.

Suddenly, Amy was on her tip-toes. One hand was placed on Sheldon's chest, the other held the back of his neck to pull him down closer to her. She kissed him hard.

Sheldon's hands reached around her body and settled in the small of her back. He gently pulled her up higher on her toes to close the gap between their bodies.

As Amy pulled away, Sheldon tightened his grip behind her to keep her close and pressed against him.

"Was that a yes?" he asked teasingly.

Amy beamed, "Yes"

Sheldon unwrapped his girlfriend and handed her the key. Amy already had a key to 4B that Penny had given to her for emergencies years ago but this felt very ceremonious so she took it and hooked it onto her key chain.

"So that's is why you've done this" she clarified, looking around the room at all the boxes.

Sheldon did not follow her gaze but simply looked down at her through hooded eyes.

"Yes. You know, I still haven't started the bedroom yet…" he stated seductively.

Amy caught the tone in his voice and immediately recognised it. She swayed her body over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist to looked up at him. Sheldon returned the embrace by draping his arms over her shoulders.

"Is that so?" she replied in an equally seductive voice.

Sheldon nodded innocently.

"Want to go make out?" he asked with one eyebrow raised.

Amy stood on her toes again to kiss him before taking his hand and leading Sheldon back to her bedroom.

Her old bedroom.


	7. Chapter 7

_Episode spoilers include 4, 5 **and now 6**_

Sheldon and Amy did not have enough space to store all of their possessions together in 4B. Luckily Sheldon had his secret storage locker which he still refused to tell anyone about and Penny and Leonard had offered their second bedroom in 4A as a temporary space to keep all of Sheldon's work.

He and Leonard had decided to turn it into a shared office for their guidance system project. Although they would be working in the lab for the majority of the time, it was also nice to have a place at home to work together after hours. Howard had also moved in some of his equipment as well.

Meanwhile, Amy's possessions had successfully been moved into 4B and Penny had cleared out her colourful, childish charms to allow the couple to redecorate themselves. A few of her more precious trinkets moved over to 4A whilst the majority was donated to Howard and Bernadette to spice up the baby's room. Pretty lampshades and picture frames were stacked in the back of Howard's car ready for the remodel.

There was not a lot of work to do as both Sheldon and Amy did not care for embellishment and were perfectly happy with the current state of the apartment. With all of Penny's possessions gone, the apartment was small, simple, and plain and they decided to keep it that way. The living room was still grey and the bedroom was still blue. Amy's fantasy of seeing Sheldon repaint the walls topless with his toned muscles on display never came to light, much to her disappointment.

However, as soon as Raj heard that they were not thinking of doing a lot of redecorating, he was knocking on their door dressed in overalls and holding up paint swatches.

 _"Now this one will really brighten up the space but I want to hear your opinions on this one"_

 _"Raj, they're basically the same colour what difference does it make?"_

 _"Wow. I can't work with such amateurs"_

Once they had finally dismissed the advances of Raj and his paint, life was running smoothly again. It was as if they had never been apart.

Sheldon and Amy would wake up in each others arms, possibly have a make-out session if they were feeling frisky, and go to work. Sheldon would still ride with Leonard as they could discuss their work together and it provided some 'guy time' as Penny liked to call it.

Amy did not mind. She had plenty of time to see Sheldon.

He enjoyed surprising her with lunch time picnics in her lab, they would still make time for regular date nights, and the domestic chores were much more fun with the both of them.

Cooking together had become a regular event. There were a lot fewer orders of take-out food as they both preferred to enjoy a home-cooked meal that they had made together. Sheldon was surprised that he did not miss their gatherings in 4A as much as he thought he would. Of course their congregations were still regular but soon Thai Food night was replaced by 'stay in, cook food, and make out night' which he was definitely okay with.

That was also something that had increased dramatically since they had moved in together. The intimacy.

Coitus was still off the table as far as they were both aware due to the fact that it had not been mentioned since they had moved back in together. It was not an issue. There was still a lot of habits and mannerisms of each other that needed getting used to.

Plus, for now, they were enjoying the kissing and the closeness.

One of the benefits of having a bed to share was that the couple's make out sessions lasted a lot longer. There had been several occasions now where they had been late to events because they were otherwise occupied…

To celebrate their cohabitation, Amy suggested they throw a house warming party. It had actually been quite a while since they had begun living together and this was not exactly a new house for them anymore but it would be nice to play hosts as a couple. That is if Sheldon agreed. He was not a fan of parties and definitely was not the character to throw them.

"It will be fun" Amy promised.

"Alright"

"Wait, you're actually agreeing to this?" she was shocked.

Sheldon smiled at her, "Of course. I never had a house warming party when I moved to California because I didn't really have any friends to invite. My Mom visited but I would not call her presence a party - she primarily fussed over the lack of furniture. Besides, the birthday party you threw for me was thoroughly enjoyable and I want to help you with this one"

Amy was taken aback and slightly saddened by his story but was keen for his input. They made arrangements to go shopping the next day and sent out e-vites to almost everyone they knew.

Sheldon pushed the cart around the supermarket whilst Amy picked up all the items from their list and placed them inside. She stopped in the last aisle and began perusing the bottles of wine.

"Alcohol? Amy, is this really going to be a party with alcohol?"

"It's okay, you don't have to drink it"

"I assure you I will not"

* * *

Amy rearranged the glasses on the kitchen island one last time before she went to check on Sheldon. She found him in their bedroom wrestling with his tie in front of the mirror. Carefully she reached up and adjusted it for him. Sheldon stood back and admired himself in his reflection before grabbing Amy's hand and pulling her into view too. The couple looked at themselves with broad smiles.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Amy squealed in delight and ran off to welcome their first guests. Penny and Leonard walked in holding a bottle of wine which they placed with the counter and Penny immediately opened.

"So where's everyone else? You did invite other people didn't you?" Leonard asked. He was teasing really but was a little worried that no one would turn up. It would not be a very good start to Sheldon and Amy's first party and he did not want them disheartened.

"They'll be here" Amy said bluntly with her nose turned up at Leonard. Her friends only lived across the hall so they were bound to arrive on time. She had also heard that it was 'cool' to arrive late to a party. Hopefully, this would not turn out to be as disastrous as Bert's party a month ago.

Penny was clearly thinking along the same lines, "Yeah, didn't you know? Shamy really are Pasadena's favourite power couple!" her teasing smile twinkled.

Both Sheldon and Amy rolled their eyes at Penny's foolery. Leonard just looked confused.

"What, who said that?" he asked.

"Oh everyone" Sheldon insisted, despite knowing nothing about these apparent rumours. He just assumed that he and Amy were incredibly popular.

Penny smirked at him, "Actually it was Bert, from the Geology department"

This time it was Sheldon and Leonard's turn to roll their eyes. _Geology._

"If you don't believe us you can ask him yourself tonight. I invited him" Amy pouted towards Leonard who opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted by an outraged Sheldon.

"Bert! You invited that oafish giant to our party?" his eyebrows were crossed in anger and his fists were clenched.

Amy was not phased, "Relax Sheldon. He invited us to his party, I thought I'd return the favour and invite him to ours"

"But Amy he's a Geologist. _A Geologist!_ He admitted he loved you!"

Amy began rearranging the wine glasses to busy herself and act nonchalant, "He said it to Penny too. Plus, you invited Stuart and we've been out twice before. Those two just fall in love with every girl they talk to"

"And yet you continue to talk to them!"

Leonard and Penny stood drinking wine as they watched the uncomfortable scene unfold.

Penny decided to step in, "Sheldon relax sweetie, Amy's strong and knows when to tell anyone to back off. You have nothing to worry about"

Sheldon scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"Fine. But I'm more worried that I'll have to talk to him about Geology," he muttered under his breath.


	8. Chapter 8

The room bustled with people and sensual music filled the air. The low drumming of voices echoed throughout the small apartment.

Amy beamed as she surveyed the room. The evening was going incredibly well.

Almost everyone they had invited had turned up. Sheldon was mingling with his glass of milk and gave her a little wink whenever they made eye contact; Penny was bonding with Stuart over their lack of scientific knowledge and a glass of wine; and Leonard was baffled by the number of senior staff members who were continuously complementing her relationship with Sheldon. Apparently everyone was very fond of the bespectacled neuroscientist and her quirky boyfriend.

They had even managed to avoid any confrontation when Bert had arrived. As Amy opened the door, she smiled widely and invited him in but was quickly blocked from view by Sheldon who had pelted his way across the room and taken over.

He had directed him towards a group of chemists, given Amy a quick kiss on the cheek and returned to the conversation he had fled from.

Amy had been quite impressed with how mature he was being for the evening but Sheldon was certainly on his best behaviour. He was chatting and laughing along with the other guests. Amy was proud of him, he had really made this a much more easy and enjoyable evening.

Even Leonard and Penny looked like they were having fun as they circulated around the room.

Sheldon eventually wondered over towards Amy to join her surveying the room, "This is going very well," he said sounding pleased.

The party had only just begun but already people were loosening up and having fun and there was still even more people arriving. Just as Sheldon closed the door behind Raj who had danced through with a bottle of tequila, there was another knock.

"Mandy, welcome. May I take your coat?" Sheldon offered. He took the dark red garment and hung it on the coat stand with the others, "There's drinks and appetizers in the kitchen"

"Ooh food, thanks Sheldon!" Mandy slapped Sheldon on the arm, found the kitchen island, took a plate and began chatting to Stuart who looked incredibly awkward and simultaneously aroused.

Sheldon turned back to Amy to continue discussing the success of their party but was interrupted by Penny and Leonard storming over.

"You guys invited Mandy Chao! What the hell? That girl is a nutjob. As soon as she's drunk she'll be on the lookout for new meat and it better not be me again!" Leonard clearly wanted to shout but additionally did not want to make a scene so kept his voice to a harsh whisper.

"I didn't know she was going to be here" Amy hissed back, "Sheldon?" she looked towards her boyfriend for support.

"What? Amy said invite whoever I wanted. Mandy was stood next to me in the queue for lunch and I thought she would do" Sheldon shrugged.

Penny sighed, looking exasperated, "Look it's fine. I'm over it," she put her hands to her forehead and stretched her back up. Leonard kissing another girl had hurt her and it had hurt even more when she found out Mandy was beautiful and intelligent but her marriage with Leonard was in a good place and nothing could ruin that. It was all in the past.

"You don't seem fine" Leonard observed and clearly regretted subsequently as Penny pierced her lips tightly, hoping to move on from this particular topic of conversation.

Amy closed her eyes in thought. Her party was clearly about to fall apart and people could get hurt. She had to fix this.

"Okay. Sheldon, you go and talk to Mandy and Stuart to keep them away from Leonard and Penny. You two go and talk to Bert and keep him away from Sheldon"

Her friends all looked tremendously disappointed in their appointed companions but sighed and walked off in opposite directions.

Amy relaxed her shoulders which had been hunched over in stress.

This was not the type of atmosphere she had been wanting for her house warming party but there was bound to be a fuss with this many people. On some level, Amy had enjoyed taking charge and organising the chaos. It was like she was back in high school only this time she was actually involved in all the drama instead of listening to the 'popular girls' gossip in the bathroom.

Luckily, things appeared to be running smoothly again. Crisis averted.

* * *

Stuart had finally worked up the courage to talk to Mandy now that Sheldon had arrived. It was like a competition. He needed to appear more masculine and confident than Sheldon to show this girl what a fun guy he was.

"So you two know each other from the university?" he asked them both.

Mandy nodded, "Oh yeah. We love Sheldon – he's so funny!" she playfully tapped Sheldon on the arm. He flinched away, almost spilling his milk.

"Where do you work?" Mandy asked.

Stuart considered his options. He could lie and say he was an FBI agent? Or an astronaut? Or a race car driver?

Unfortunately for him, Sheldon got there first, "He works in a comic book store" he said bluntly.

Mandy nodded her head slowly with a forced grin on her face as if she did not know how to reply. To fill the awkward silence, she turned towards Sheldon and motioned towards the bottles on the kitchen island.

"Hey, Sheldon! What drink shall I make you? I used to tend bars when I was doing my masters, I can make you anything you want" she picked up a bottle proudly and pulled over a glass.

Sheldon did not look amused, "Not for me thank you" he dismissed her with a wave of his hand.

Stuart jumped up towards her, "You can make me a drink!" he pleaded.

The look of exhaustive repulsion that Mandy gave him quickly made Stuart change his answer, "Or I could make you a drink?"

She nodded and moved the glasses over towards him before turning back to Sheldon who was preoccupied with his tie. It was uncomfortable; he would have to get Amy to fix it.

"So it's crazy that Leonard's married now isn't it?" Mandy flicked her hair off her shoulders to reveal her shoulder and neckline and leant close into Sheldon who eyed her suspiciously.

"I suppose so"

Another hair flick: "You know; I can't believe he would abandon his best friend like that. You must be very hurt"

Sheldon shook his head and smiled, "Oh actually, it was technically I who 'abandoned' him. I moved across the hall to be with-"

"Finished!" Stuart shouted. He was pleased to have disconnected their conversation and interrupted any further bonding. Sheldon could not have both Amy and Mandy.

He pushed the drinks towards them. They were an opaque green colour.

"What is this?" Sheldon asked suspiciously.

Stuart chuckled and raised his eyebrows at Mandy, "I like to call it the Hulk's favourite drink" he joked. Mandy, however, did not even acknowledge his humour and quickly downed the drink before pouring herself another one.

Sheldon was not phased as he had seen Penny do worse. Stuart was poised with his drink in the air, ready for a toast that had never come as Mandy poured yet another glass. He lowered his arm and timidly sipped at the drink.

"Come on Sheldon! These are good!" the drinks had clearly gone straight to Mandy's head as she danced around him and shoved the glass into Sheldon's hand.

Sheldon recalled Leonard's confession when he was away researching with Mandy. She had gotten very drunk and kissed him. Tonight it was Sheldon's job to stop that happening again and if distracting her by consuming alcohol was the only option then he would do it. For Leonard and Penny's marriage and for Amy's party.

Sheldon raised the glass to his nose and sniffed the beverage. It smelt of mint and appeared relatively harmless. He had not seen Stuart actually make the beverage but the only item on the table was a tub of cream.

Cream in a drink?

Maybe it would taste like milkshake? Cream was related to milk.

He carefully took a sip from the rim of the glass. It tasted like mint.

He had a little more.

And a little more.


	9. Chapter 9

"Have you guys seen Sheldon?" Amy asked.

Penny and Leonard were stood next to Bert looking incredibly bored - they both shook their heads in answer to her question.

"Sorry Amy, we've been having such a great time with Bert here that we haven't seen him" Penny's voice was flat and sarcastic, clearly showing her boredom.

Bert, however, did not pick up on it, "I was listing all the types of sandstone-"

"Yeah, yeah" Amy interrupted, "Where's he gotten to? I've looked everywhere – the bedroom, the hallway, your place. Could you keep an eye out for him please?"

Penny and Leonard nodded and as Amy left, they turned back to Bert somewhat reluctantly.

"What is her obsession with that guy?" Bert complained in a low rumble.

Leonard's eyebrows crossed in perplexity, "Uh, they've been dating for over six years and have just moved in together – you're at their party!"

Just as Leonard finished, there was a sudden commotion from the other side of the apartment and Sheldon, Stuart and Mandy came into view. Stuart was spitting bullets whilst Sheldon cowered into a corner. Mandy cheered them on whilst Amy, Howard and Raj ran over to help.

"They're dating?" Bert exclaimed, "Those guys told me she was a lesbian!"

* * *

As soon as Sheldon had downed several of Stuart's green concoctions, he felt a little queasy. The room was blurry and spinning; it gave him a horrific headache. Mandy, however, still appeared to be on top form and was hardly phased by the alcohol.

"Come on Sheldon, let's dance!"

She began skipping in time to the music in a rather precarious way. Her moves were not very smooth and she stumbled over her own feet several times.

Stuart finished off his drink and began swaying towards Mandy in an equally embarrassing display. She barely looked at him and reached for Sheldon instead who was still trying to gain his composure. His head was spinning so fast that he did not notice himself being dragged away from the party.

Suddenly they were in Sheldon and Amy's bedroom. The room had been closed off from the party and was only being used to store the overload of coats on the bed or as a walk-through to the bathroom. It was dark compared to the blurry yellow light that could be seen through the frosted glass of the door.

Sheldon sat down on the bed. He felt ill and confused.

Mandy sat down next to him, "So, how'd you wanna do this?" her eyes were bright and alert but her words were slurred and incoherent.

"If by 'do this' you mean vomit violently then I think the first step is to try and make it to the bathroom," Sheldon shakily attempted to stand but was quickly pulled back by Mandy.

As her arms draped around his neck and shoulders, Sheldon leant away from her touch, incredibly unsure of what was presently happening. Mandy's face was unnervingly close to his and she smelt of the drink his body was currently trying to reject.

Sheldon scrambled away from her grip and jumped back, running around to the other side of the bed for extra protection. He rose to his full height and wobbled but remained standing.

"What do you think you are doing?" he bellowed at her.

Mandy's face was dark and carnal as she comically crawled from her side of the bed towards Sheldon. She licked her lips like a lion hunting prey. Sheldon stepped back and felt the cold glass window behind him.

He had to escape.

The window was not really a safe option.

Running clumsily sideways, he sprang into the bathroom and locked the door with fumbling fingers. Mandy was soon banging on the door outside.

"You can't hide from me Sheldon! I'll wait right here for you"

Sheldon was panic stricken. He felt the blood rush away from his face as it turned a pale white. There was no escaping Mandy; she was waiting right outside for him. Leonard was right; this woman really is a nutjob and unfortunately he was her prey. If only he had his phone he would have been able to call Amy and have her rescue him.

As if reading his mind, Sheldon heard a familiar voice from behind the door.

"Sheldon? Sheldon? Oh – hello Mandy. Is Sheldon with you?"

There was a sound of an excuse from Mandy as she explained that she was waiting to use the bathroom. As soon as Sheldon opened his mouth to shout for help, he felt an unsettling feeling in his stomach. Turning quickly to the toilet bowl; he vomited.

Consequently, it made him feel a lot better now that the toxic green liquid was out of his system and as soon as he had hurriedly gargled with water, Sheldon flew open the door and ran out to find Amy.

"Amy?"

He was stopped in his tracks by Mandy's pounce. Amy had gone. He would have to fight this battle on his own. There was no way he was letting this woman touch him.

Mandy stepped forward, backing a nervous Sheldon up into the wall as he tried to escape. Her hands were reaching out towards his chest when the bedroom door suddenly flew open.

"I knew it!"

It was Stuart.

Sheldon dodged around Mandy and ran towards the door, "Stuart! You saved me!"

Stuart was just as tipsy as Mandy and had drunkenly waltzed into the room having found what he was looking for. This woman was his and Sheldon was trying to steal her.

"Hold on there, Mister! We have to settle this like men!"

Sheldon was desperately trying to move past Stuart and get back to the party and find Amy but he was blocked in.

He was dizzy and confused, "Settle what?" he asked.

Stuart pounced around on his tip-toes as if trying to imitate a ninja. He leapt forward as close to Sheldon's face as he could get, "I challenge you to a duel!" he shouted dramatically.

Sheldon, in a state of panic, darted to the side and around Stuart to run out into the party. Stuart followed suit with Mandy not far behind. She was enjoying having two guys fight over her and was cheering them on excitedly.

Stuart followed Sheldon and backed him into a corner with his hand ridiculously pointed into the shape of a hand gun. It was as if they were playing a child's game. Stuart's drunken state was not an especially smart state.

Amy, Howard and Raj ran over.

"What's going on?" Howard demanded.

"This guy thinks he can take the two hottest girls at the party!" Stuart spat.

He stepped closer and threatened Sheldon with a jab of his arm. Sheldon, however, had found a new confidence and stood up straight. He pulled Amy towards him by her hand and stood her to his side and a little behind, using his shoulder to protect her.

"The only girl I want is this one here!"

It was Mandy who had been advancing on him, Sheldon was completely innocent.

"Alright buddy, are we gonna duel or not?" Stuart slurred.

By now the rest of the party was gathered around the scene and eagerly waiting to see what would happen. They were bitterly disappointed, however, when Bert pushed his way to the front.

"Alright, show's over"

He effortlessly picked up Stuart around the waist and carried him towards the hallway as if Stuart was nothing but a small child. He had to lean over slightly to fit under the door frame and soon the apartment was silent again. The smooth music playing in the background did not reflect the awkward and unsettling atmosphere.

Slowly the crowd began to murmur among themselves and separate - the dramatic events were soon forgotten.

Mandy sauntered over to Sheldon and tried to whisper in his ear.

"Let's finish what we started"

Amy was fuming. She stepped in front of her boyfriend to block him from the drunken girl and folded her arms tight across her chest.

"I think perhaps you would also benefit from a moment in the hall," she arched her eyebrows before holding Mandy around the arm and pulling her towards the door. Sheldon followed on behind.

Out in the hallway, the couple found Bert who had dumped Stuart down on the stairs. He had passed out. Amy motioned for Mandy to sit next to him.

"Sorry they ruined your party Amy" Bert's low voice echoed throughout the stair way.

Amy shook her head, "It's okay. Thank you for your help"

Sheldon stepped forward and ducked his head low.

"Bert, I would like to apologise for my curt behaviour earlier. You are a true gentleman and I want to thank you for taking care of these two," he motioned towards the pair sat on the stairs.

Sheldon really did mean it. Bert had saved him and Amy from a potentially violent and embarrassing match.

"Hey it's no problem" Bert nodded.

Sheldon held out his hand and the two men shook.


	10. Chapter 10

"Well this has been a very successful night" Amy smiled as she sat down on the couch"

Sheldon went to join her, "Really? What about the part where a drunken woman tried to seduce me therefore causing an argument with Stuart and having both of them taken away by a giant who is in love with you?"

His tone was as serious as ever but Amy could tell he was trying to make a joke of it.

"Well, yes, that did all happen but the guests had a good time and that's all I'm concerned about"

Sheldon smiled endearingly and shook his head slightly at her commitment to her role, "You were the perfect hostess"

He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and they sat in silence, enjoying the peace, before Sheldon spoke again. His voice was more stern and quiet.

"It really was nothing" he said, "She had just had a lot to drink"

Amy nodded. After Leonard's story she had assumed that Mandy was the type of person who could barely keep her hands off other men once she had had a bit too much to drink. It just so happened that this time it was Sheldon who she aimed her affections towards and he clearly did not want to reciprocate.

"I know"

She placed her hand on his thigh and he covered it with his.

Their guests had left a long time ago and the couple had since cleared up and packed everything away. Leonard and Penny had kindly offered their couch to Stuart who was still passed out in the hallway and Bert had driven Mandy home. The drama was all over and Sheldon and Amy were looking forward to curling up in bed together after a long night.

However, just as they were preparing to get ready for bed, there was a knock at the door. The couple looked at each other in confusion. Who could that be? Perhaps someone had left something behind at the party.

Amy went to open the door and found Stuart behind it. His eyes were bloodshot and he looked tired but he had clearly slept off some of the drink. He had woken on Leonard and Penny's couch to horrific memories of the evening and immediately struggled across the hallway to find Sheldon and Amy.

They now stood in front of him looking very concerned.

"Stuart," Sheldon stated monotonously in greeting.

"I just wanted to apologise," Stuart hiccupped, "I was jealous and lonely and it made me act out," he said sadly.

Amy felt a twinge of sympathy for her friend. This was partly Mandy's fault as well – she was the one who had hurt him. Stuart did not deserve it.

Sheldon, on the other hand, appeared to show no compassion.

"Okay, bye bye then," he went to slam the door in Stuart's face, desperately wanting his bed now, but Amy promptly pulled it open again.

"Sheldon! Please continue Stuart"

Sheldon shook his head in exasperation but stepped forward again to listen to what Stuart had to say.

"It's true. I am jealous. I guess I just want what you guys have. I want a relationship with a woman and I've been trying so hard for years but you two just stumbled upon each other and it worked and here you are six years later. Why can't I have something like that?"

Stuart sighed heavily and leant against the doorframe. He was both physically and mentally exhausted. It was late and he should not have had so much to drink, now his head was spinning and he was depressed.

Sheldon and Amy pitied their friend. Stuart was a nice guy and did not deserve ridicule and seclusion.

"I suppose we could talk to Mandy at work if you want?" Sheldon offered with a shrug of his shoulders. Stuart seemed to have taken a shine to her and Mandy was a good person - when she was sober that is.

"Really?" Stuart jumped up from his slump and looked much brighter.

"Yes. But Stuart-"

Stuart had already began walking back across the hallway and towards the stairs. He turned around at the sound of his name.

"Mandy is a predator. Don't you think there's someone out there that is more suitable for you? Someone with the capacity to care for another person? Do you ever think that you are perhaps trying too hard?"

Sheldon seemed genuinely concerned about Stuart's wellbeing. He did not want him to get hurt. Mandy was the type of person who could easily move from one person to another without a care in the world and no fear of hurting them or their significant others. Stuart knew nothing about her personality or who she really was, he was simply fallen in love with her looks.

Stuart's eyes went glassy as he considered Sheldon's advice. He did not speak and barely reacted. It was as if he had fallen asleep whilst standing. Amy began to suspect that he had.

Sighing to herself and stepping closer, she placed a hand gently on his arm to make eye contact, "We're here if you need us Stuart. Would you like me to drive you home?"

* * *

Mandy woke the next morning with a splitting headache.

 _'Never again'_ she thought despite knowing that that was a lie.

What had happened last night? She remembered going to a party and…

Frantically, she found her phone and looked back through her calls, texts and any other forms of social media where she could have embarrassed herself.

Nothing. Mandy relaxed a little.

However, upon opening up her calendar to check her schedule today, she slumped back onto her pillows in exasperation.

The only thing written in for yesterday was 'Sheldon Cooper – house warming'. She must have gone to the party and made a complete fool of herself.

Sheldon Cooper had always been an enigma to her and as a scientist, Mandy was curious.

His relationship with Leonard was clearly less intimate as she had originally thought because his former roommate was now married. To a woman.

Sheldon was not one to host or even enjoy parties. Hence, upon meeting him in the lunch queue and being invited, Mandy had agreed immediately. The mysteriousness behind Sheldon made him quite desirable she had to admit.

The colour left her face. Sheldon was desirable. Oh no.

Mandy rolled out of bed slowly and held her fingers to her temples to try and quell her furious headache and remember what happened last night.

She had been hitting on Sheldon Cooper. Memories of caging him into his bedroom came flooding back. _What had she done?_

Sheldon had a girlfriend. He had moved in with her. This was bad.

Mandy acknowledged that she had a drinking problem which generally attracted her to men that she would not normally go for. It loosened her up and not in a good way. Sheldon was a quirky guy and she would not have been interested on any other day. Leonard had been at the party with his wife and she had done everything to avoid them which apparently meant getting drunk and attacking her other colleague.

Mandy could not imagine how this may have affected Sheldon's relationship with his girlfriend but they were often the talk of the university. There was something about that couple which everyone just seemed to love. Sheldon had gone from irritating and unusual to the most popular man at work and it was all because of his girlfriend - a woman Mandy had not even met - yet she had turned up at her party and flirted with her boyfriend.

She had to apologise and fix everything.


	11. Chapter 11

_Shout out to rgbcn who has created a wonderful shamy masterpiece in inspiration of this story. She is incredibly talented and wonderfully amazing and I cannot thank her enough for her contribution to my writing and the fandom! xx_

Sheldon and Amy were just as embarrassed as Mandy was.

She had caught them in a compromising situation in Amy's lab after Leonard had pointed her in that direction. Mandy had been searching the whole physics department as well as the cafeteria and was beginning to worry that neither Sheldon nor his girlfriend had turned up to work at all today.

Luckily (or unluckily) she had found them in the middle of a heated make out session.

On the bright side, at least that meant she had not killed their relationship.

Mandy quickly averted her eyes as Sheldon pulled down his shirts to cover his body and Amy jumped off the counter top that she had been sat on. Their faces were bright red and they both avoided eye contact, clearly humiliated.

Mandy stuttered. It was she who should be humiliated but she was caught off-guard by their display, "Uh… hi… I just came to say sorry"

Sheldon cleared his throat several times and pulled the hem of his shirt down again as if to ensure that it truly was covering him.

"That's quite alright. There's nothing to apologise for," he mumbled, "You were not of sound mind"

He spoke hurriedly, clearly trying to get rid of her as quickly as possible but Mandy stayed. She had to apologise properly.

She shook her head, "No. I really am sorry. I ruined your party and threatened your relationship"

Amy chuckled, "Nothing could threaten this," she gave Sheldon a playful tap on his behind.

Remembering the night of the party, Mandy recalled tapping Sheldon on the arm and he had flinched away. When Amy touched him, he feigned annoyance but he clearly enjoyed the teasing and playfulness with her. They really were a good match and Mandy was glad that she had not caused any friction between them.

"So, you're not mad?" Mandy asked cautiously.

Amy sighed and spoke truthfully, "I am a little mad but there's no harm done. Thank you for your apology. Now, there is a small favour I would like to ask"

Mandy listened intently and nodded along. This was a small price to pay for what she had done.

* * *

That evening, the ladies all met in Amy's apartment for a girl's night and the boys went next door to Leonard's.

Amy nursed her cup of tea as she told the stories of the house-warming party.

"Sounds like I missed a lot" Bernadette squeaked. She had decided to stay at home and have an early night in but was beginning to regret it. Amy was not as tolerable with physical violence as she was.

"It was nothing really" Amy shook her head and sipped her drink.

"Really? Because when I found out about what happened with Leonard it took me quite a while to get over. It's okay to be angry you know" Penny nodded sympathetically at Amy. It was not good to bottle up resentment.

Amy placed her drink down on the coffee table, "I told you I'm fine. No offence but Leonard returned Mandy's advances whereas Sheldon would never do such a thing. Mandy apologised and I forgave her. We've all done things we're not proud of. Plus, she walked in on an intense make out in my lab today so I feel that I've left my mark," she smirked at the memory of Mandy's face when she had walked in on them this afternoon.

She probably should have been angry and planned some sort of payback but claiming that Sheldon was hers by jumping on a table and ripping his clothes off in front Mandy was enough. She found getting caught quite titillating.

"But it sounds like this isn't the first time she's done it" Bernadette complained. It may have been the hormones but personally she would not have backed down so easily.

Amy seemed concerned, "I know. That's why I'm worried for Stuart"

"What? Why are you worried for Stuart?" Penny asked.

"He asked me to set him up with Mandy. I suppose that's why I forgave her so easily. I wanted her to do me a favour"

Bernadette thumped down her glass of water on the table, "Wait? So after these two hit on your boyfriend and ruined your party, you helped to set them up?" she shouted.

"I know it doesn't make a lot of sense but at least it keeps them away from me and Sheldon," Amy's eyebrows knitted together.

"They're a bit of an odd pair aren't they?" Bernadette seemed unsure, "I mean, she's young and hot and he's… Stuart"

Amy shrugged, "Sometimes odd pairings work out well. They balance each other"

Penny leant forward with her glass of wine with a teasing smile, "Yeah I mean, look at me and Leonard. I'm young and hot and he's Leonard"

* * *

"That's it?" Howard asked.

"Yes" Sheldon nodded simply.

"Man. I wish Bernadette was as cool as Amy. If another woman came at me she would not live to tell the tale, _especially_ if she then walked in on us getting busy," he puffed out his chest and pulled his 'manliest' face.

Sheldon rolled his eyes, "Amy knew it meant nothing to me and that's all that matters. Jealousy is uncalled for. Mandy may have witnessed us in a compromising situation but she looked more embarrassed than we did. We just want to move on with our lives and forget all of this ever happened"

Raj pierced his lips together and nodded in agreement.

"But you've just passed on the burden to Stuart," Leonard countered.

"But he wanted the burden. He asked for it. Whether it works out or not is not in my control. We've done our part" explained Sheldon.

"I suppose" Howard considered, "Are you sure Amy's not mad? She seems pretty relaxed about all of this"

"Surprisingly Howard not all women have the same anger levels as a hornets nest like _your_ wife"

Howard looked taken aback and offended but after considering the comment, he had to agree. Bernie did have a lot of rage for such a small person.

Sheldon was still considering his advice though, "Perhaps I ought to do something to make it up to her and get some alone-time"

"Aw Sheldon that's so romantic!" Raj gleamed.

"You already live together, how much more alone time do you need?" Leonard questioned sullenly.

"A lot it appears as I'm currently over here talking to you!"

Jumping up dramatically, Sheldon marched across the hallway towards his apartment. Should he knock? It was his own house but the girl's might be discussing private things. He decided to enter regardless. He lived with Amy now and the mysteries of women were no longer hidden.

The three girls were sat around the coffee table and all turned to look up at him when he walked through the door.

"Ladies" he stated in greeting.

"Hi Sheldon" Bernadette responded, "I hear someone was getting busy today in the labs," she winked.

Sheldon blushed and ignored Bernadette's comment.

"What are you doing here?" Penny asked. It sounded far more interrogatory than she meant.

Sheldon pierced his lips, "I live here!" he defended, "If you must know why I have specifically entered at this time it is because I would like to invite Amy out for a date night this weekend"

"You guys still do that? You live together now" Bernadette commented.

"That doesn't mean I can't spoil Amy occasionally" Sheldon bobbed his eyebrows teasingly at his girlfriend.

She giggled at his playfulness, "Sheldon that sounds lovely"

"Excellent. I shall leave you ladies to it"

With that, Sheldon turned on his heels and headed back to Leonard's apartment with a night out with his girlfriend to look forward to.


	12. Chapter 12

_This chapter is dedicated to America and all those who are scared and disappointed..._

"Sheldon, this is lovely!" Amy breathed as she sat down in the chair that Sheldon had pulled out for her.

"Raj really has outdone himself this time I have to admit"

The couple had asked for Raj's culinary advice for their date night and it had clearly paid off – luckily he had not joined them this time. There was elegant mood lighting above each table and flickering candles which reflected dark shadows on the scarlet table cloth and shiny silver cutlery.

They both perused the menu before a charming waiter joined them to take their order. Once their drinks arrived, Sheldon held up his glass to propose a toast.

"To us" he said simply.

Amy beamed and clinked the rim of her glass against his before taking a sip. It was very rare for Sheldon to take her out for dinner unless it was a special occasion, it was nice to treat themselves for once.

"Would you like to play a game?" Sheldon grinned cheekily after he lowered his glass from his lips.

Amy sat up in anticipation. Sheldon always came up with fun and interesting games for them to play.

"Ooh, yes! What do you have in mind?"

Sheldon bit his lip and leant forward, "Okay, so you know the popular board game ' _Guess Who?'_ where both players select a unique character and the other player must use a series of questions to deduct which individual they have chosen?"

Amy nodded.

"Well, how would you like to play the live version?"

Amy beamed at him before scanning the room. It was full of all types of people of all shapes and sizes. One particular person drew her attention and she subtly looked them up and down to memorize every detail.

"Uhm, okay I've chosen my person," she turned back and smiled.

Sheldon rotated in his chair to get a view of the entire room before turning back to Amy with a devilish smirk.

"Ready. Okay, you start"

Amy did not need to ponder over her question for too long, she began straight away with, "Are they male?"

Sheldon shook his head, "No"

Quickly, Amy's eyes fleeted around the room again to look at the diners and single out the women.

Sheldon cleared his throat, "Right my turn… the same question. Are they male?"

"Yes"

The couple exchanged questions, barely breaking eye contact with each other. One glance at their chosen person could give away their identity. Amy was being incredibly mysterious and lascivious which was enough to distract Sheldon. Not enough, however, to win the game.

"Is he wearing odd socks?" he asked.

Amy had also noticed this feature of the older man when she had first spotted him so nodded without having to take a quick glance. She could already tell that Sheldon had won the game.

"It's him," Sheldon pointed an accusatory finger towards the suited gentleman. Amy batted his hand down softly and squealed.

"Ssh. Yes that's him! Don't point and give us away!"

The man had seen Sheldon pointing but ignored the young couple. He turned back to his wife who was a mousy woman wearing glasses. She was much shorter than her husband but they looked sweet. Amy liked that they were still clearly having a date night despite their years; it was so romantic.

"I win," Sheldon smiled smugly and took a celebratory sip of his drink without taking a self-satisfied eye away from Amy.

She rolled her eyes and silently laughed at her boyfriend.

"Looks like it was just in time," she beamed at the waiter who had arrived with two steaming bowls and carefully placed them in front of the couple and checked that all was to their liking before leaving them to their meal.

"We haven't finished yet," Sheldon said as he unwrapped his napkin and draped it over his lap, "You still need to guess who I chose"

"Right" Amy nodded and looked around the room again to review her options, "Uhm, is she wearing a dress?"

"Yes. Next question"

Amy mentally counted out the women that were left. There was an elderly woman with her husband, several middle-aged women either on dates or here with work, and a few younger women.

"Ok, is she wearing any jewellery?"

Sheldon looked slightly lost for words before turning his head in a swift motion to avoid giving away who he was looking at. He had not noticed whether she was wearing any jewellery or not. As an assumption, he would have said yes and was glad to see that this was the correct answer.

"Yes," he said triumphantly.

Amy thought it would have been funny if she had caught Sheldon out but he was too sneaky and she had not seen who he looked at.

Inspecting each woman carefully, Amy scrutinised each one for any jewellery. There were still several adorning trinkets but there was one particular woman who caught her eye.

"Is it her?" she asked, motioning her head in the direction of a young blonde woman sat opposite a young man.

Sheldon nodded excitedly, "Yes, you got it!"

He held up his glass and clinked it against Amy's with a wide smile.

Of course Sheldon had to pick the most beautiful woman in the room but Amy thought it would be best not to mention it.

"Is everything okay here?" their waiter popped up again with a towel draped over one forearm and a comically fake smile.

"Yes, thank you" the couple replied.

They watched as the waiter left their table and made his way towards another. He stopped to smooth down his shirt, clear his throat and plaster on an even wider smile. The table he swaggered towards happened to be the one with the woman Sheldon had chosen for the game. She turned to the waiter as he inevitably asked the same question he had just asked them. The woman nodded her head before turning back to her date. The waiter looked a little dejected but moved away.

"I think he likes her," Amy observed.

Sheldon arched his eyebrows but made no comment.

Amy was still watching her, "She must be on a date so that waiter did not have much of a chance although I can see why he likes her, she's gorgeous"

Sheldon had already turned back to his food, "Hmm, I didn't notice," he shovelled pasta into his mouth.

Amy opened her mouth in a silent gasp, "Come on Sheldon, I know you can recognise conventional beauty. She is probably the most beautiful woman here"

It was true according to Amy. No other woman compared to the beauty a few tables over. She looked a little like Penny when she had her hair cut. Even Sheldon could tell that this woman conformed to almost every male's standard of attractiveness. She was tall and slim with a blonde pixie cut and perfect teeth.

Sheldon shook his head, "Not true"

"Oh really, point out one other person in here who is prettier than her"

"You"

Amy was taken aback. She had not been expecting that response but it still pleased her. As his girlfriend, Sheldon probably felt obligated to say that. It was still sweet though.

"That's corny but thank you," she smiled.

"It's not corny, it's the truth," Sheldon glanced up with a side-ways smile before tucking into his meal again. Amy watched him for a while with a dizzy expression before finishing her meal.

After a while, she filled the silence.

"So if you don't think she's the prettiest girl then why did you pick her?"

"Why did I have to choose the most attractive person? Those aren't the rules" Sheldon's eyebrows knitted questioningly.

Amy shrugged, "That's why I chose mine"

Sheldon dropped his fork onto his plate with a loud clatter. A few heads turned in his direction.

"Amy!"

She giggled, "Calm down. You are the most attractive man I will ever meet. I just think that guy isn't that bad looking"

Sheldon pointed again at the man, "He's like a hundred years old!" he exaggerated.

Amy batted his hand away again. Sheldon's voice had been a little too loud and the man had heard them, he turned his head to look over towards them with a confused expression. Amy held up a hand in submission and a silent apology before glowering at her boyfriend.

"Sheldon, relax. To be completely honest, the reason I chose him was because I thought that couple looked like us. Just older. Like a future version of ourselves"

Sheldon perked up at this comment and looked back at the older couple. They did bear some resemblance to him and Amy.

"I still find it weird that you're attracted to him," he sneered.

Amy sighed, "That's not what I meant. I'm not _attracted_ to him. Penny would probably describe him as a silver fox. If you look half as good as that when we're old, I'd definitely be attracted to you," her seductive voice matched with one foot running up and down Sheldon's leg made him submit.

"I should hope so!" Sheldon's voice raised to a high pitch in defence, "I'd look ten times better. Have you seen this skin?" he stroked the back of his hand along his jaw line with a teasing smile. He enjoyed their little fake arguments, they always became less about the topic at hand and more about turning the other on. After a while, it would often become difficult to control their urges.

Amy smiled endearingly at Sheldon's arrogance and caught his hand on its way down.

"I know. You are the most handsome man in the world and I doubt that's ever going to change. I will love you forever," she changed the joking tone of their conversation to a sentimental, serious one.

Sheldon's head tilted to one side, his eyelids drooped and a warm smile spread across his face. It was a look of love.

"I'll love you forever"

He squeezed her hand.

He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to kiss her with all his might. He wanted to run his hands through her hair and pin her up against a wall, but they were in public. He had to control himself.

Instead, he settled for looking into Amy's eyes which were glittering in the candlelight.

Amy watched as Sheldon's pupils dilated and became darker and darker. His thumb was rubbing the back of her hand in small circular motions. They were stuck in their own bubble of time. The older versions of Sheldon and Amy two tables over would have to take over their roles on Earth. The world around them was still. It was just them. Together.

But there was a disturbance.

Sheldon's head turned swiftly and looked up. Amy was broken out of her trance.

Sheldon had let go of her hand and spoke quickly and nervously. Amy struggled to concentrate on his words as they seemed mismatched and rushed.

"The reason I chose the woman earlier was because I already know her. Howard and Raj set us up on a date when she answered an ad they made. She spent all day solving puzzles to come at meet me and speak Klingon"

Amy was so taken aback with all this new information that she remained frozen in her seat. She watched as Sheldon stood up as the tall blonde woman waltzed towards their table and towered above it.

Sheldon beamed.

"Vanessa"


	13. Chapter 13

Amy did not know this woman but she did not like the connection Vanessa had with Sheldon.

They had spent the last few minutes speaking in nothing but Klingon and she had no idea what they were saying. Vanessa was tall and blonde and beautiful and Amy was jealous.

Sheldon had said that she had answered his dating ad. Was that on a dating website? Had Vanessa been matched up as his perfect mate? Amy severely doubted that soul mates existed but she liked to think that if they did, she would be Sheldon's and Sheldon would be hers.

From the quick biography Sheldon had given, Amy was already green with envy and burning with jealously. Vanessa spoke Klingon, which would no doubt be very attractive to Sheldon, and she had gone on a treasure hunt to find him plus she was a chemist which was more respectable to Sheldon than a biologist. When they had first met, Sheldon had no fear of offending Amy's field or her work; he would rarely insult chemistry.

Vanessa was the perfect woman.

Sheldon turned and saw Amy looking bored and angry. He switched back to English and put an arm around her back to pull her into the conversation.

"Vanessa, this is my girlfriend Amy"

"It's very nice to meet you," Vanessa held out her hand which Amy shook cautiously.

The air was thick with tension caused by Amy's skepticism and penetrating glare. Vanessa clearly felt it and looked uncomfortable. Amy wished she knew what she and Sheldon had been talking about.

Luckily, Sheldon seemed unaware of the hostility between the two women and continued the conversation.

"Vanessa here has just been on a date," he told Amy.

Vanessa blushed and looked awkward, "Yes. It was not very successful. We've gone our separate ways"

Amy had not really looked at the man she had been dining with but from what she remembered he was a similar age to Vanessa and quite handsome.

"I'm sorry," Amy said.

It was true, she was sorry. Vanessa was so beautiful that she was probably harassed a lot and attracted the wrong sort of guys. Penny had told her enough stories that seemed to go a similar way.

The sympathy was not enough for her to like Vanessa though.

First Mandy and now Vanessa? Sheldon was hers. Amy did not like this competition.

"Don't be," Vanessa shrugged, "He wasn't very interesting. All beauty and no brains"

This guy reminded Amy of Zach.

"It seems like most of the men I meet are immature and stupid," Vanessa shrugged again.

Suddenly Sheldon, grabbed Amy's arm in excitement. He had a wide smile and his eyebrows had shot up his forehead. Amy looked at him in confusion and Vanessa stepped back slightly in shock.

"I have an idea!" Sheldon shouted.

After no one said anything he realised he needed to elaborate.

"Stuart!"

Amy returned Sheldon's grasp and held onto his arm, "That's a great idea!" she beamed and Sheldon looked chuffed.

"Who's Stuart?" Vanessa asked suspiciously.

Sheldon turned to her, "Stuart is a dear friend who runs his own business and can also speak Klingon," Sheldon bobbed his eyebrows suggestively as if those where the only things that should matter when being set up on a blind date.

Vanessa still looked unsure so Amy butted in, "He's very sweet and kind and mature"

"Yeah and he's basically an old man if mature is what you want," Sheldon nodded with wide eyes as if this was selling Stuart.

Amy rolled her eyes and jabbed her elbow into his side but Vanessa seemed interested.

"I do like older men," she considered.

"Please let us set you up," Amy begged, "Stuart would love to meet you!"

Amy doubted that Stuart and Vanessa would have a lot in common and it was unlikely that they would fall madly in love but if the only way to get other women away from her Sheldon was to bestow them on to Stuart then she would take it. Stuart definitely would not mind.

* * *

Sheldon and Amy left the restaurant hand in hand with wide smiles. Vanessa had agreed to be set up with Stuart on a blind date and she seemed excited about it.

"I hope we didn't oversell Stuart," Sheldon bit his lip.

"Nonsense, Stuart's a great guy. Those two will really hit it off," Amy squeezed her boyfriend's hand.

"They make a peculiar couple; even more so than him and Mandy"

Amy tilted her head to the side and considered, "I suppose so. I think they'll get along much better though – they have more in common. Like Klingon"

"They don't have age in common"

"Well, Vanessa said she preferred older men and there isn't _that_ much of an age gap. There's only a few more years between them than the gap between you and her and you two almost dated"

Amy's voice was thick with bitterness but it appeared to pass over Sheldon. He was distracted by his own thoughts.

The couple had decided to walk to the restaurant and did not feel like getting an Uber or taxi back, it was a nice evening so they began to amble home again, still with their hands clasped together. The sky was getting darker and street lamps were beginning to switch on to form pools of light on the shadowy streets, the air became refreshingly crisp and cold.

They walked in silence; each stuck in their own thoughts. Predominantly to do with whether setting up Stuart and Vanessa was a good idea or not. They did not want anyone to get hurt.

Amy broke the silence voicing what was on her mind, "Do you ever wonder what would have happened if you had actually dated Vanessa?"

She felt Sheldon tense next to her. He had clearly not been expecting such a blunt question from her but it was out there now. It bothered Amy and she needed to know an answer.

After piercing his lips, Sheldon rang his tongue along them and spoke clearly, "I have never given it a thought"

"Think about it now"

"I don't want to"

Amy's heart sank. Why did he not want to think about it? Does Sheldon think that he would have been happier in an alternative timeline? A timeline where he had dated Vanessa?

Her mind was put to rest when Sheldon stopped suddenly. Their hands trailed but remained connected as he pulled Amy back to stop with him. He moved to sit on one of the benches that lined the pavement and Amy took a seat next to him.

Sheldon took a deep breath in through his nose, "I don't want to think about it because I am happy now and that's all that matters. When I set up the dating ad, part of me was hoping that you would see it and turn up. It never occurred to me that anyone else would," he shrugged, "Vanessa did turn up and I made excuses to send her on her way. I've never had any interest in another woman. Ever. Only you"

Amy nodded and smiled. It seemed important to Sheldon that she understood, and she did, jealousy could not be helped but there was nothing to worry about.

She gently leant forward to place her head on Sheldon's shoulder whilst he rested his head on hers and they sat there, supporting each other, watching cars and pedestrians stream past.

Within the sparse group of walkers, Sheldon and Amy recognised a certain couple.

The 'older versions' of themselves were walking with their hands held between them swinging back and forth. They walked past the bench that Sheldon and Amy were sat on without a glance in their direction. The conversation between them was too riveting to be distracted from.

Sheldon and Amy watched as they continued down the road and turned off at the end.

"Despite the remote possibility, there is a chance that that was us from the future having successfully travelled back in time," Sheldon mused.

He lifted his head from Amy's and sat up, she mimicked his actions and stood up from the bench.

"I hope that's true. They seemed happy," Amy smiled to herself.

It was incredibly unlikely that those two people had been them from the future but Amy liked the theory. A little bit of magic and imagination never hurt anybody.

"Shall we head home?" she asked, holding out her hand to Sheldon which he gratefully took with a nod.

"One thing first," he said.

Amy's puzzled expression was diminished with a deep kiss from Sheldon. He cradled her neck in both hands to tilt her head up towards his and pull her close. Amy responded by wrapping her arms around his waist and opening her mouth to his tongue.

The pedestrians had thinned so there was no one there to see them. Sheldon could feel the warmth of desire flood through his body and counteract the cold night air.

After the couple eventually broke apart, Sheldon reached for Amy's hand again.

"We're going home now," he declared before flagging down a taxi.

The quicker he could get Amy home, the better.


	14. Chapter 14

_This is a particularly saucy chapter ft. randy Sheldon..._

The cab ride had felt painstakingly slow despite making record time back. Sheldon was having trouble keeping his composure with Amy in the back and it was only the pejorative glances of the driver in the mirror that stopped him from taking her then and there.

As the car pulled up in front of 22 Los Robles, Sheldon practically threw the money at the driver before grabbing Amy's hand and pulling her through the door.

They giggled their way up the stairs, pushing and pulling each other to go faster. On the landing of floor 4, Sheldon tugged Amy by the hand he was holding to whip her around into his chest. His lips met hers as they backed up towards the apartment.

Pressing his girlfriend up against the door, Sheldon dug in his pocket for his keys. Amy was raised up off the floor by the force of his strength and had to stand on her tip-toes to meet his level. Her arms wrapped around the back of his neck to pull him down into her.

As one hand held on to her waist for support, the other reached behind Amy and fumbled with the key in the door. Sheldon was having difficulty multi-tasking and could not find the lock, his hand was jabbing the key anywhere in hope that it would meet its correct destination. Finally, in fear that they would be caught out here like this, Sheldon pulled back away from Amy.

"Hold on," he rasped in a throaty voice.

The key slotted perfectly into the lock and the door swung open. Sheldon rapidly flipped them both around and closed the door to press Amy up against the other side. He threw the keys with closed eyes into the bowl by the door and missed; they clattered to the floor but the couple were not distracted.

Whilst Amy felt that being pressed up against the door by her boyfriend was extremely hot, she was beginning to miss her feet on the ground. Slowly, she lowered herself down, arms still wrapped around Sheldon's neck which brought him down with her. Gently, her hands travelled down to his shoulders and she guided him back towards the couch.

As the back of Sheldon's knees hit the edge of the couch, he buckled them and steadily lay down whilst taking a hand away from Amy's waist to steady himself; the other brought her down on top of him.

It was not elegant. The old couch from Amy's apartment was not very big which meant Sheldon had to fold himself into it. Having his girlfriend on top of him was new and they were not used to it. Clumsily she settled herself, temporarily breaking away from his lips to reorganise her body.

When Amy went in to kiss Sheldon again, she kept her mouth open inviting his tongue in which he gratefully accepted. The couple's breathing became heavier as they explored each other's bodies.

Amy clutched a handful of Sheldon's shirts and pulled both up, ripping the undershirt out of the waistband of his trousers. Her hands travelled up his waist and stomach, creating goose bumps on his delicate skin as they went. Amy had not realised how cold her hands had been until she felt the warmth of Sheldon's body, it was oddly inviting and she pushed her hands further up to massage his chest and play with the thin smattering of hair.

Believing that it was unfair that he was getting all the attention and that he was not seeing enough skin from Amy, Sheldon slid his hands up from her waist to just below her ribcage. As they roamed further up he felt every contour from the bones underneath despite the many layers hiding them.

There were too many layers. He had to get rid of some.

Starting with the top button, Sheldon unfastened Amy's cardigan slowly and sensually. He never broke his lips away nor opened his eyes, merely undressing her with his memory and touch. As he reached the bottom, the two sides flapped open and Sheldon had gained access to her shirt underneath which he rapidly pulled out from the folds of her waistband.

They struggled together in the confines of the couch as they continued to try and undress each other. Eventually Sheldon had had enough and lifted Amy effortlessly off him and held her by the hand to tug her towards the bedroom. On the way, the couple discarded the clothes that were already hanging unfastened around them. There was no regard for neatness as the garments were thrown to the floor; it was only underwear stopping them now.

Once inside the bedroom, Sheldon whipped his arm to throw Amy down roughly onto the bed. She landed and bounced a little under the mattress springs but was soon settled by the weight of Sheldon on top of her as he straddled her body.

His kissing moved down from her lips to her chest and the top of her breasts which were bulging out of her bra. As Sheldon pressed his body close into hers, his arms wrapped all the way around Amy until they were in a tight embrace and there was better access to the clasp of the undergarment that was keeping him from her body.

As Amy felt Sheldon fiddling with the fastening to her bra, she searched for access to him.

Quickly she tucked her thumbs into the waistband of his underwear and began to pull down. She was stopped suddenly, distracted by Sheldon who was wrestling with her bra to pull it off her arms and helped him remove it. He beamed in delight at the appearance of her naked body under his before delving into her chest with soft kisses.

Amy gasped at the feeling of his wet tongue circling on her skin and was driven to finally release Sheldon of his clothes. She pulled at his waistband one last time to expose him. She felt Sheldon shudder above her as he pressed up against her, touching his skin to hers.

The only barrier between them now was Amy's panties. She did not have the courage or energy to wait for Sheldon to take them off for her so reached down between them to pull at the elastic.

Sheldon moved to help her and soon the couple were both completely naked. Their hands and tongues roamed each other's bodies led by curiosity and the resonating moans from their partner.

Amy watched as her boyfriend kissed his way down her body, leaving a wet trail from his tongue which caused her skin to tingle as it met the cold air.

Looking up at her with questioning eyes, Amy nodded in response to Sheldon.

With a small sideways smile, he reached over to his nightstand and withdrew a condom which he carefully applied with Amy watching. Once he had finished, he moved over Amy's body again and met her lips with his. The heated kissing from before had calmed down and slowed into careful and sensual kisses as he softly ran his tongue along her lips.

Amy could feel him pressing against her and craved more. Opening her eyes, he placed a hand under Sheldon's chin to get his attention and focus his gaze on her. They both nodded simultaneously and cracked small smiles.

Sheldon positioned himself at her entrance and gave Amy one last deep, hard kiss before...

Pounding.

But at the door.

"Sheldon! Amy!" Penny's voice hollered.

She beat her fists against it, causing the whole apartment to shake with the drumming sound.

Sheldon and Amy jumped and tensed every muscle in their bodies at the shock of being disturbed.

Leonard called out, "We know you're in there!"

The hammering continued and Penny was getting impatient.

"Open up," she screeched, "Bernadette had gone into labour!"


End file.
